hotair--2020-07-05--Report: COVID-19-like strain originally found by Chinese...in 2012

A fascinating article from The Sunday Times in London reveals a potential relative to the coronavirus strain currently ruining everyone ’ s 2020 plans may have its origins from an abandoned southwest Chinese copper mine…in 2012 .
It ’ s important to note the viruses mentioned in The Times report are similar but not exact so there ’ s no proof COVID-19 came from the copper mine .
On Tuesday April 24 , 2012 , a 45-year-old man with the surname of Guo was admitted to the hospital ’ s intensive care unit suffering from severe pneumonia .
The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lv was taken to the hospital with the same life-threatening symptoms , and by Thursday three more cases — Zhou , 63 , Liu , 46 , and Li , 32 — had joined him in intensive care .
A sixth man called Wu , 30 , was taken into intensive care the following Wednesday .
All the men were linked .
They had been given the task of clearing out piles of bat faeces in an abandoned copper mine in the hills south of the town of Tongguan in the Mojiang region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before falling ill , and others just a few days .
Tongguan is nowhere near Wuhan , the believed site of the initial coronavirus outbreak .
Wuhan becomes involved because the Wuhan Institute of Virology doctors discovered antibodies of a SARS-like virus in two survivors .
Here ’ s where things get a little muddy , per The Times .
Researchers in China have been unable to find any news reports of this new Sars-like coronavirus and the three deaths .
There appears to have been a media blackout .
It is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened in the Kunming hospital from a master ’ s thesis by a young medic called Li Xu .
His supervisor was Professor Qian Chuanyun , who worked in the emergency department that treated the men .
Other vital details , including the results of the antibody tests , were found in a PhD paper by a student of the director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention .
Li ’ s thesis was unable to say what exactly killed the three miners , but indicated that the most likely cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This goes against comments by Shi Zhengli aka China ’ s Bat Woman to Scientific American earlier this year about the abandoned mine .
Muddied waters to say the least .
What we do know is WIV researchers took fecal samples from almost 300 bats and stored them at the Institute around 2013 .
We also know the U.S. raised concerns regarding the facility ’ s security following a 2018 visit .
It ’ s still not clear when COVID-19 made its way onto the scene .
From The Times : Yu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University , has told Chinese media that one man was admitted to hospital on September 29 with Covid-19-like symptoms but it is impossible now to show whether he had the virus because he died .
There were two more suspected early carriers of the virus from November 14 and 21 in the city ’ s 47,000-strong database of cases , but they are unconfirmed .
Probably the first confirmed case was a 70-year-old man with Alzheimer ’ s disease , whose family had told researchers from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital that his symptoms had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point it accelerated to about 60 identifiable cases by December 20 , according to government research data reported in the South China Morning Post .
However , it would not be until a week later that Dr Zhang Jixian , of the Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Hubei province , became the first person to report a suspected outbreak to the provincial government .
There ’ s also the Reuters report from last month suggesting traces of coronavirus were discovered in wastewater in early 2019 , long before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false positive is high given COVID-19 ’ s similarity to other SARS-like contagions .
Here ’ s where we go back to the abandoned copper mine .
Shi wrote earlier this year there was a sample in WIV that was a 96.2 % match to COVID-19 .
The Times takes it up from here .
In other words , RaTG13 was the biggest lead available as to the origin of Covid-19 .
It was therefore surprising that the paper gave only scant detail about the history of the virus sample , stating merely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affinis bat in Yunnan province in 2013 — hence the “ Ra ” and the 13 .
Inquiries have established , however , that RaTG13 is almost certainly the coronavirus discovered in the abandoned mine in 2013 , which had been named RaBtCoV/4991 in the institute ’ s earlier scientific paper .
For some reason , Shi and her team appear to have renamed it… [ R ] esearchers in India and Austria have compared the partial genome of the mine sample that was published in the 2016 paper and found it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sequence for RaTG13 .
The same partial sequence for the mine sample is a 98.7 % match with the Covid-19 virus .
Peter Daszak , a close collaborator with the Wuhan institute , who has worked with Shi ’ s team hunting down viruses for 15 years , has confirmed to The Sunday Times that RaTG13 was the sample found in the mine .
He said there was no significance in the renaming .
“ The conspiracy folks are saying there ’ s something suspicious about the change in name , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coding system has changed , ” he said .
Questions remain on how exactly the virus came about and , again , displays the pisspoor response from China on reporting the outbreak .
It might not be wise to take this as a means for disengagement from China , as certain politicians clamor in their rhetoric .
China ’ s saving face culture is still a mystery and possibly why Beijing ( outside of Xi Jinping ’ s extreme nationalistic and authoritarian tendencies ) stays mostly silent on the issue .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become even more of an isolated nation that suddenly decides to take territory by force like 1930s Japan if it believes no one will engage with it .
The carrot and stick approach doesn ’ t work at all when all someone sees is the stick .

A fascinating article from The Sunday Times in London reveals a potential relative to the coronavirus strain currently ruining everyone’s 2020 plans may have its origins from an abandoned southwest Chinese copper mine…in 2012. It’s important to note the viruses mentioned in The Times report are similar but not exact so there’s no proof COVID-19 came from the copper mine.
On Tuesday April 24, 2012, a 45-year-old man with the surname of Guo was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit suffering from severe pneumonia. The next day a 42-year-old man with the surname Lv was taken to the hospital with the same life-threatening symptoms, and by Thursday three more cases — Zhou, 63, Liu, 46, and Li, 32 — had joined him in intensive care. A sixth man called Wu, 30, was taken into intensive care the following Wednesday. All the men were linked. They had been given the task of clearing out piles of bat faeces in an abandoned copper mine in the hills south of the town of Tongguan in the Mojiang region. Some had worked for two weeks before falling ill, and others just a few days.
Tongguan is nowhere near Wuhan, the believed site of the initial coronavirus outbreak. Wuhan becomes involved because the Wuhan Institute of Virology doctors discovered antibodies of a SARS-like virus in two survivors. Here’s where things get a little muddy, per The Times.
Researchers in China have been unable to find any news reports of this new Sars-like coronavirus and the three deaths. There appears to have been a media blackout. It is, however, possible to piece together what happened in the Kunming hospital from a master’s thesis by a young medic called Li Xu. His supervisor was Professor Qian Chuanyun, who worked in the emergency department that treated the men. Other vital details, including the results of the antibody tests, were found in a PhD paper by a student of the director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Li’s thesis was unable to say what exactly killed the three miners, but indicated that the most likely cause was a Sars-like coronavirus from a bat.
This goes against comments by Shi Zhengli aka China’s Bat Woman to Scientific American earlier this year about the abandoned mine.
“The mine shaft stunk like hell,” says Shi, who, like her colleagues, went in wearing a protective mask and clothing. “Bat guano, covered in fungus, littered the cave.” Although the fungus turned out to be the pathogen that had sickened the miners, she says it would have been only a matter of time before they caught the coronaviruses if the mine had not been promptly shut.
Muddied waters to say the least.
What we do know is WIV researchers took fecal samples from almost 300 bats and stored them at the Institute around 2013. We also know the U.S. raised concerns regarding the facility’s security following a 2018 visit. It’s still not clear when COVID-19 made its way onto the scene. From The Times:
Yu Chuanhua, an epidemiology professor at Wuhan University, has told Chinese media that one man was admitted to hospital on September 29 with Covid-19-like symptoms but it is impossible now to show whether he had the virus because he died. There were two more suspected early carriers of the virus from November 14 and 21 in the city’s 47,000-strong database of cases, but they are unconfirmed. Probably the first confirmed case was a 70-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease, whose family had told researchers from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital that his symptoms had begun on December 1. From that point it accelerated to about 60 identifiable cases by December 20, according to government research data reported in the South China Morning Post. However, it would not be until a week later that Dr Zhang Jixian, of the Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Hubei province, became the first person to report a suspected outbreak to the provincial government.
There’s also the Reuters report from last month suggesting traces of coronavirus were discovered in wastewater in early 2019, long before the Wuhan outbreak. The likelihood of a false positive is high given COVID-19’s similarity to other SARS-like contagions.
Here’s where we go back to the abandoned copper mine. Shi wrote earlier this year there was a sample in WIV that was a 96.2% match to COVID-19. The Times takes it up from here.
In other words, RaTG13 was the biggest lead available as to the origin of Covid-19. It was therefore surprising that the paper gave only scant detail about the history of the virus sample, stating merely that it was taken from a Rhinolophus affinis bat in Yunnan province in 2013 — hence the “Ra” and the 13. Inquiries have established, however, that RaTG13 is almost certainly the coronavirus discovered in the abandoned mine in 2013, which had been named RaBtCoV/4991 in the institute’s earlier scientific paper. For some reason, Shi and her team appear to have renamed it… [R]esearchers in India and Austria have compared the partial genome of the mine sample that was published in the 2016 paper and found it is a 100% match with the same sequence for RaTG13. The same partial sequence for the mine sample is a 98.7% match with the Covid-19 virus. Peter Daszak, a close collaborator with the Wuhan institute, who has worked with Shi’s team hunting down viruses for 15 years, has confirmed to The Sunday Times that RaTG13 was the sample found in the mine. He said there was no significance in the renaming. “The conspiracy folks are saying there’s something suspicious about the change in name, but the world has changed in six years — the coding system has changed,” he said.
Questions remain on how exactly the virus came about and, again, displays the pisspoor response from China on reporting the outbreak. It might not be wise to take this as a means for disengagement from China, as certain politicians clamor in their rhetoric. China’s saving face culture is still a mystery and possibly why Beijing (outside of Xi Jinping’s extreme nationalistic and authoritarian tendencies) stays mostly silent on the issue. My concern is that China will seek to become even more of an isolated nation that suddenly decides to take territory by force like 1930s Japan if it believes no one will engage with it. The carrot and stick approach doesn’t work at all when all someone sees is the stick.


hotair--2020-07-05--'Sharpiegate': Melania Trump's 4th of July celebration dress heckled, backfires as you knew it would

President Trump and First Lady Melania traveled to South Dakota Friday to kick-off the 4th of July celebrations with a visit to Mount Rushmore .
The First Lady , as always , was perfectly dressed .
Yet , to the Trump haters , her high-end designer dress was mock-worthy .
The critics are now being mocked themselves , rightfully , for their tone-deaf ugliness during a celebration of our nation ’ s 244th birthday .
It takes a certain kind of partisan disagreeability to criticize the fashion choices of Melania Trump .
It ’ s really only lobbing criticism for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are so obsessed with hating President Trump and wishing him out of office go after Melania as a way to get at him .
It ’ s a cowardly way of attacking the president but this is 2020 and nothing good can ever be said of the First Couple .
When it comes to Melania , though , and her appearance , the criticism is simply laughable .
Case in point – the dress she wore to the celebration at Mount Rushmore .
Melania Trump wore a dress by haute couture designer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white dress with black markings as the design .
Did President Trump take out his black sharpie and scribble on the white fabric during a moment of boredom , asked the Trump critics ?
A candidate for the West Virginia state senate weighed in .
I guess they thought their tweets were clever and smart .
Perhaps , because it was later in the evening , adult beverages were catching up with them .
Who knows ?
The tweets soon brought some comeuppance from those who knew about the dress and the story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message of unity during this time of the coronavirus pandemic .
The dress was a creation of young fashion students in college .
The dress is called Dancing Girls Dress .
It seems however that Alexander McQueen have gone above and beyond with introducing new initiatives to keep the fashion community connected during lockdown .
Their recently introduced # McQueenCreators project has been as massive success on social media , bringing the fashion family together under one hypothetical McQueen shaped roof .
A sense on community is something that has always been close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For their SS20 collection the McQueen team worked alongside Central Saint Martin ’ s MA students and The Stitch School to create the Dancing Girls Print , a print now synonymous with the collection as a whole and emblematic of McQueen ’ s commitment to collaboration .
Continuous , spontaneous sketches of dancing girls were created in a life-drawing class held at the educational space at the Alexander McQueen London flagship store last year .
This dress has a greater meaning .
Every single member of the team contributed to the embroidery by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symbol of what the brand stands for .
Alexander McQueen aims to nurture and contribute to the success of young designers and creatives , and this sense of community that went towards one single dress proves this .
I think Trump loyalist and Melania fan James Woods did a good job expressing what most of us feel who appreciate how well Melania Trump serves as First Lady .
Here is a tweet of approval of Melania ’ s choice of attire during the 4th of July celebration at the White House Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are endless , consider , for a moment , Melania Trump , ” observed a Canadian columnist , who noted that Mrs. Trump ’ s job comes with “ no paycheque and a chorus of criticism.
” The CBC also noted how Melania is dissed around the clock while most political spouses in other countries fly under the radar .
“ It ’ s ridiculous to expect the spouse of a president to be a domestic superstar , ” the CBC remarked .
I ’ ll end with this tidbit – another Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lady ’ s fashion choices .
Melania Trump is the best-dressed First Lady this country has ever had , whether you like her or not .
She represents the United States well .
She has surpassed the gold standard of fashionable First Ladies , Jackie Kennedy , much to the left ’ s dismay .
Best of all , we aren ’ t talking about First Gentleman fashion and Bill Clinton .

President Trump and First Lady Melania traveled to South Dakota Friday to kick-off the 4th of July celebrations with a visit to Mount Rushmore. The First Lady, as always, was perfectly dressed. Yet, to the Trump haters, her high-end designer dress was mock-worthy. The critics are now being mocked themselves, rightfully, for their tone-deaf ugliness during a celebration of our nation’s 244th birthday.
It takes a certain kind of partisan disagreeability to criticize the fashion choices of Melania Trump. It’s really only lobbing criticism for the sake of doing so. Those who are so obsessed with hating President Trump and wishing him out of office go after Melania as a way to get at him. It’s a cowardly way of attacking the president but this is 2020 and nothing good can ever be said of the First Couple. When it comes to Melania, though, and her appearance, the criticism is simply laughable. Case in point – the dress she wore to the celebration at Mount Rushmore.
Melania Trump wore a dress by haute couture designer Alexander McQueen. It was a simple white dress with black markings as the design. Did President Trump take out his black sharpie and scribble on the white fabric during a moment of boredom, asked the Trump critics?
Looks like Donald took his Sharpie to Melania's dress. pic.twitter.com/vafal1tjK4 — Devin Duke (@sirDukeDevin) July 4, 2020
Donald Trump got bored and drew all over Melania's white dress with a sharpie on Air Force One pic.twitter.com/iFQ0C8VI7i — Red (@Redpainter1) July 4, 2020
A candidate for the West Virginia state senate weighed in.
https://twitter.com/MargBeckwith/status/1279252746106023942
I guess they thought their tweets were clever and smart. Perhaps, because it was later in the evening, adult beverages were catching up with them. Who knows? The tweets soon brought some comeuppance from those who knew about the dress and the story behind its creation. It delivers a message of unity during this time of the coronavirus pandemic. The dress was a creation of young fashion students in college. The dress is called Dancing Girls Dress.
It seems however that Alexander McQueen have gone above and beyond with introducing new initiatives to keep the fashion community connected during lockdown. Their recently introduced #McQueenCreators project has been as massive success on social media, bringing the fashion family together under one hypothetical McQueen shaped roof. A sense on community is something that has always been close to the heart of the house. For their SS20 collection the McQueen team worked alongside Central Saint Martin’s MA students and The Stitch School to create the Dancing Girls Print, a print now synonymous with the collection as a whole and emblematic of McQueen’s commitment to collaboration. Continuous, spontaneous sketches of dancing girls were created in a life-drawing class held at the educational space at the Alexander McQueen London flagship store last year. This dress has a greater meaning. Every single member of the team contributed to the embroidery by hand on this dress becoming a true symbol of what the brand stands for. Alexander McQueen aims to nurture and contribute to the success of young designers and creatives, and this sense of community that went towards one single dress proves this.
I think Trump loyalist and Melania fan James Woods did a good job expressing what most of us feel who appreciate how well Melania Trump serves as First Lady.
Melania turns on that million megawatt smile and the liberals go into troll purgatory for a month. They lose their warped little minds. It’s just delicious! pic.twitter.com/pLfs67qiGK — James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) July 5, 2020
Here is a tweet of approval of Melania’s choice of attire during the 4th of July celebration at the White House Saturday.
America's First Lady is a stunner.pic.twitter.com/pcWyY2LnV0 — Jordan 🕵🏽♂ (@Jord_45) July 5, 2020
A Canadian columnist noted the constant criticism coming Melania’s way.
“If you think your holiday obligations are endless, consider, for a moment, Melania Trump,” observed a Canadian columnist, who noted that Mrs. Trump’s job comes with “no paycheque and a chorus of criticism.” The CBC also noted how Melania is dissed around the clock while most political spouses in other countries fly under the radar. “It’s ridiculous to expect the spouse of a president to be a domestic superstar,” the CBC remarked.
I’ll end with this tidbit – another Trump supporter reminds us of a former First Lady’s fashion choices.
Gosh I wish we could go back to the fashion queen, Michelle
* sigh 😉
– Join the conversation on @clouthub pic.twitter.com/Ow3lN2o7B0 — Dr. Gina – RAV (@RealAmVoice) (@RealDrGina) July 5, 2020
Melania Trump is the best-dressed First Lady this country has ever had, whether you like her or not. She represents the United States well. She has surpassed the gold standard of fashionable First Ladies, Jackie Kennedy, much to the left’s dismay. Best of all, we aren’t talking about First Gentleman fashion and Bill Clinton.


hotair--2020-07-05--Tammy Duckworth: We should listen to the argument for tearing down statues of George Washington

The irony of this segment is that she started out on the right foot .
What do you think about statues , Dana Bash asks ?
I think Trump wants us talking about statues because he doesn ’ t want to talk about hundreds of thousands of Americans being sick with COVID-19 or about the White House not punishing Russia for putting bounties on American troops , says Duckworth .
Which is the right answer politically .
The president ’ s spent the past month trying to remake the campaign as a culture war proxy fight , with ruinous results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not that people disagree with him that statues of the Founding Fathers should be left alone .
They don ’ t .
It ’ s that his political priorities seem so far out of touch with Americans ’ anxiety right now that many come away thinking he either doesn ’ t care about the pandemic or doesn ’ t know what to do about it .
Duckworth ’ s honing in on that .
Right , fine , got it , says Bash .
But what about those Washington statues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the response by saying she ’ s willing to entertain the idea of canceling the Founding Fathers , she goes on to hint that maybe it ’ s time to give Mt .
Rushmore back to Native Americans .
Bash didn ’ t even ask about that !
Needless to say , most Americans won ’ t be “ listening to the argument ” for disappearing Washington and Jefferson in some Year Zero Jacobin purge .
YouGov asked recently “ Should statues of American presidents who were slaveholders , like Washington , Jefferson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and got this response : I can ’ t understand how she shifted in 30 seconds from “ don ’ t take the bait on culture-war distractions ” to “ Mt .
Rushmore was stolen from native peoples , you know.
” Did she panic and think that the left would punish her if she whiffed on a second invitation from Bash to signal disapproval of America ’ s white , male , slaveholding Founders ?
She handed Trump a gift-wrapped reason to keep talking about this today and to stay on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what her initial answer was designed to avoid .
It ’ s an especially weird move for someone who ’ s being chattered about lately as a potential Biden VP .
Sleepy Joe does need a running mate who ’ s a bit more left-wing culturally than him , but one with the basic good sense not to flirt with ideas that are polling at 17/62 .
I ’ m looking forward to seeing how Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren handle this same issue .
Where ’ s the sweet spot between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grudgingly support putting you on the ticket ” and “ woke enough that you ’ re on the wrong side of an issue that ’ s -45 in net support ” ?
Tangentially , since it ’ s July 4th weekend and the two parties ’ bases are clashing over national identity , I ’ ll leave you with this recent polling result that caught my eye .
What explains the surprisingly sharp decline over the past two years among Republicans who say they ’ re “ very patriotic ” ?
Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re presently enduring on COVID-19 ?

The irony of this segment is that she started out on the right foot. What do you think about statues, Dana Bash asks? I think Trump wants us talking about statues because he doesn’t want to talk about hundreds of thousands of Americans being sick with COVID-19 or about the White House not punishing Russia for putting bounties on American troops, says Duckworth. Which is the right answer politically. The president’s spent the past month trying to remake the campaign as a culture war proxy fight, with ruinous results in the polls and other metrics. It’s not that people disagree with him that statues of the Founding Fathers should be left alone. They don’t. It’s that his political priorities seem so far out of touch with Americans’ anxiety right now that many come away thinking he either doesn’t care about the pandemic or doesn’t know what to do about it. Duckworth’s honing in on that.
Right, fine, got it, says Bash. But what about those Washington statues?
Amazingly, Duckworth not only botches the response by saying she’s willing to entertain the idea of canceling the Founding Fathers, she goes on to hint that maybe it’s time to give Mt. Rushmore back to Native Americans. Bash didn’t even ask about that!
"His priorities are all wrong," Sen. Tammy Duckworth reacts to Pres. Trump's Mt. Rushmore speech where he defended Confederate monuments. "He should be talking about what we're going to do to overcome this pandemic… he spent all his time talking about dead traitors." #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/eWEq750ZPy — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) July 5, 2020
Needless to say, most Americans won’t be “listening to the argument” for disappearing Washington and Jefferson in some Year Zero Jacobin purge. YouGov asked recently “Should statues of American presidents who were slaveholders, like Washington, Jefferson, and Jackson, be removed?” and got this response:
I can’t understand how she shifted in 30 seconds from “don’t take the bait on culture-war distractions” to “Mt. Rushmore was stolen from native peoples, you know.” Did she panic and think that the left would punish her if she whiffed on a second invitation from Bash to signal disapproval of America’s white, male, slaveholding Founders? She handed Trump a gift-wrapped reason to keep talking about this today and to stay on offense while doing so — which was exactly what her initial answer was designed to avoid.
It’s an especially weird move for someone who’s being chattered about lately as a potential Biden VP. Sleepy Joe does need a running mate who’s a bit more left-wing culturally than him, but one with the basic good sense not to flirt with ideas that are polling at 17/62. I’m looking forward to seeing how Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren handle this same issue. Where’s the sweet spot between “not woke enough for the left to grudgingly support putting you on the ticket” and “woke enough that you’re on the wrong side of an issue that’s -45 in net support”?
Tangentially, since it’s July 4th weekend and the two parties’ bases are clashing over national identity, I’ll leave you with this recent polling result that caught my eye. What explains the surprisingly sharp decline over the past two years among Republicans who say they’re “very patriotic”? Is it … the national humiliation we’re presently enduring on COVID-19?


hotair--2020-07-05--Mississippi prepares to change its "Jim Crow" voting process

Having recently voted to remove the stars and bars from their state flag , Mississippi is now turning their attention to their method of electing statewide officials .
Their election method is unique in the United States ( at the state level , anyway ) in that candidates must not only carry the popular vote but also a majority of support in each of the state ’ s House districts .
This creates a system similar to the electoral college used in federal Presidential elections .
A state constitutional amendment to approve this change will reportedly be up for consideration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press ) Later this year , the state ’ s voters will decide whether to dump a statewide election process that dates to the Jim Crow era .
Facing pressure from a lawsuit and the possibility of action from a federal judge , legislators are putting a state constitutional amendment on the ballot in November .
The amendment would simplify elections for governor and other statewide officials by erasing an Electoral College-type provision from Mississippi ’ s 1890 constitution — one that was written to dilute Black voting power and maintain white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s election rule is certainly something of an outlier when compared to the rest of the country .
In fact , at the state level , it ’ s unique .
And when you consider the time period when it went into effect ( 1890 ) , you can certainly argue that it would fall under the broader category of Jim Crow laws .
But does that make it illegal or unconstitutional in some fashion ?
Obama era Attorney General Eric Holder obviously thinks it does .
He ’ s gone on record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principle of one-person , one-vote.
” The Mississippi Center for Justice is representing the plaintiffs in a pending case seeking to overturn the law , saying that it “ clearly shows intent to circumvent the rights of African Americans.
” I ’ m not sure how far either of those arguments would make it in the courts .
The Constitution is largely silent on the matter , but it ’ s generally left to the states as to how they conduct their own internal elections .
While you might be able to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support of Black candidates to the advantage of whites , that ’ s not how it ’ s been working out in practice , particularly in modern times .
When neither candidate manages to secure both the popular vote and the support of a majority of House districts , the race is tossed to the state House to decide the matter .
The last time that happened was in the 1999 gubernatorial race .
Both of the viable candidates were white and the House wound up giving the race to the Democrat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this system is almost a mirror image of our federal election process for selecting presidents .
Is Eric Holder saying that it ’ s potentially unconstitutional because it copies what the founders put in the constitution for a different election ?
That seems like a long row to hoe in a court challenge .
While this mandate from the state constitution may certainly have had not only the look but the practical effect of sidelining minority voters in the latter part of the 19th century , it speaks to a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone who lives in upstate New York , I sort of wish that our leadership had shown the foresight to put something like this in our state constitution back in the day .
That might prevent liberal Democrats in New York City from dominating every statewide election .
But they didn ’ t , so we ’ re stuck in that sorry state of affairs .
No matter how you feel about it , Mississippi is handling this matter in the correct fashion .
Rather than attempting to enact some mandate from on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of whether or not to amend the state constitution to the voters .
If a majority of them want to see this change , then it will happen .
The real question is what the activists will do or say if the voters reject the proposal this fall and opt to keep what they ’ ve had for more than a century .

Having recently voted to remove the stars and bars from their state flag, Mississippi is now turning their attention to their method of electing statewide officials. Their election method is unique in the United States (at the state level, anyway) in that candidates must not only carry the popular vote but also a majority of support in each of the state’s House districts. This creates a system similar to the electoral college used in federal Presidential elections. A state constitutional amendment to approve this change will reportedly be up for consideration by the voters in November. (Associated Press)
Later this year, the state’s voters will decide whether to dump a statewide election process that dates to the Jim Crow era. Facing pressure from a lawsuit and the possibility of action from a federal judge, legislators are putting a state constitutional amendment on the ballot in November. The amendment would simplify elections for governor and other statewide officials by erasing an Electoral College-type provision from Mississippi’s 1890 constitution — one that was written to dilute Black voting power and maintain white control of state politics.
Mississippi’s election rule is certainly something of an outlier when compared to the rest of the country. In fact, at the state level, it’s unique. And when you consider the time period when it went into effect (1890), you can certainly argue that it would fall under the broader category of Jim Crow laws. But does that make it illegal or unconstitutional in some fashion?
Obama era Attorney General Eric Holder obviously thinks it does. He’s gone on record saying that the law “violates the principle of one-person, one-vote.” The Mississippi Center for Justice is representing the plaintiffs in a pending case seeking to overturn the law, saying that it “clearly shows intent to circumvent the rights of African Americans.”
I’m not sure how far either of those arguments would make it in the courts. The Constitution is largely silent on the matter, but it’s generally left to the states as to how they conduct their own internal elections. While you might be able to make the case that this system dilutes the support of Black candidates to the advantage of whites, that’s not how it’s been working out in practice, particularly in modern times. When neither candidate manages to secure both the popular vote and the support of a majority of House districts, the race is tossed to the state House to decide the matter. The last time that happened was in the 1999 gubernatorial race. Both of the viable candidates were white and the House wound up giving the race to the Democrat.
As to the one-person, one-vote principle, this system is almost a mirror image of our federal election process for selecting presidents. Is Eric Holder saying that it’s potentially unconstitutional because it copies what the founders put in the constitution for a different election? That seems like a long row to hoe in a court challenge.
While this mandate from the state constitution may certainly have had not only the look but the practical effect of sidelining minority voters in the latter part of the 19th century, it speaks to a lot of different cultural divides today. Speaking as someone who lives in upstate New York, I sort of wish that our leadership had shown the foresight to put something like this in our state constitution back in the day. That might prevent liberal Democrats in New York City from dominating every statewide election. But they didn’t, so we’re stuck in that sorry state of affairs.
No matter how you feel about it, Mississippi is handling this matter in the correct fashion. Rather than attempting to enact some mandate from on high, they are putting the question of whether or not to amend the state constitution to the voters. If a majority of them want to see this change, then it will happen. The real question is what the activists will do or say if the voters reject the proposal this fall and opt to keep what they’ve had for more than a century.


hotair--2020-07-05--A yoke of liberation: Sunday reflection

A yoke of liberation: Sunday reflection

“ I give praise to you , Father , Lord of heaven and earth , for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones .
Yes , Father , such has been your gracious will .
All things have been handed over to me by my Father .
No one knows the Son except the Father , and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him .
“ Come to me , all you who labor and are burdened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me , for I am meek and humble of heart ; and you will find rest for yourselves .
For my yoke is easy , and my burden light.
” A belated happy Independence Day to Hot Air readers , especially to those who read the reflections here .
Hopefully you spent your Fourth in fun and celebration of freedom , or at least of family and friends .
I spent mine liberating my laundry room of the tyranny of junk and bad storage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then had a great social-distancing visit from good friends to liberate me from that .
Not the greatest of Independence Days , but overall … not too bad .
By the way , my laundry room is only mostly liberated .
There are still holdouts against the tyrannical former regime , but I ’ m planning a Yorktown for later today … assuming my back ’ s up to it .
( It could end up being more of a skirmish , to be honest . )
Jazz wrote our holiday post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ readings speak to freedom and liberty in their own way .
The entire arc of salvation history through both the Old and New Testaments are really about liberty and individual choice at their cores , with the eternal question that faces each of us singularly , in communities , and as a whole : Do we freely choose to accept the Lord and His Word ?
Or do we wish to reject Him and make ourselves into gods of our own ?
The reading from Zechariah nearly echoes our reading from Matthew today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proclaims the Lord ’ s message to His people in terms that almost sound like a love letter .
When their savior arrives , Zechariah says , he will come in humility and justice , not in oppression and cruelty .
“ A just savior is he , ” Zechariah says , “ meek and rising on an ass , on a colt , the foal of an ass.
” This not just foreshadows Jesus ’ entry into Jerusalem that we now celebrate on Palm Sunday , it also communicates the nature of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ savior will put an end to war , he will not impose himself on people .
This new king will be “ meek , ” a word that has a specific nuanced meaning that sometimes escapes the ear of modern listeners .
Meek in this Biblical sense does not mean milquetoast or powerless ; in fact , it means almost exactly the opposite .
It signifies someone who willingly lays his real power aside for mercy ’ s sake .
“ Weak ” means powerless ; meek means power intentionally set aside for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this meek king will “ come to you ” in humility rather than grandeur , the prophet does not just mean directionally .
This king will come to His people to seek them out rather than dominate them , even though He has the power to do the latter .
Jesus uses the same term for the same purpose , only more explicitly , in our reading from Matthew today .
“ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me , for I am meek and humble of heart , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you will find rest for yourselves .
For my yoke is easy , and my burden light.
” Jesus also adds to His prayer of praise to the Father for having “ hidden these things from the wise and learned , ” a point which we sometimes take for granted in Jesus ’ preaching .
But why would God “ hide ” His nature and command in the first place ?
Because He loves us , and wishes us to love Him .
And that can not happen on command and through domination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our own political histories of freedom and tyrannies .
To fully reveal Himself would be to dominate mankind through the revelation of His great power .
We have glimpses of this throughout the scriptures , even in the theophanies ; God comes to Moses as a burning bush , and then only in a glimpse on Mount Sinai .
He comes as a massive cloud to John the Baptist and Jesus at the river .
God never reveals anything close to His massive splendor , because to do so would enslave humanity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not out of choice and love but out of fear and terror .
The Lord loves us too much to force us into slavery .
He wants us to come to Him in love , to enter into His family as sons and daughters rather than into slavery .
This is the ultimate expression of “ meekness , ” of deliberately setting aside that power and authority in favor of love .
Jesus would later show another expression of meekness on the cross , allowing Himself to suffer the most humiliating and excruciating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who betrayed and rejected Him .
Jesus freed us from death in that moment , defeating what humankind had long seen as a tyranny of its own — our own mortality .
That shows the power of God ’ s love , but also the lightness of His yoke as well .
After all , the commands of the Lord come down to Jesus ’ own commandments to His disciples : love the Lord your God with all your heart , soul , and mind , and love your neighbors as yourselves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty hard sometimes , as we all find out .
But this is not the yoke of slavery ; it is a recipe for liberation .
We are not called upon to create the Pyramids of Giza for our salvation , nor to conquer vast lands by the sword .
Jesus and the scriptures consistently urge people to love the Lord and put aside the worldly ambitions of those who would make themselves into their own gods .
The Lord has no need of conquerors for the sake of conquest ; it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has no need of pyramids either , and truly no “ needs ” at all .
What God longs for is our love , our free-will choice to be His sons and daughters , and those commandments serve to simplify our lives and distill our ambitions to that purpose .
We can choose not to listen and to harden our hearts to Him .
We are not slaves , even though the Lord has the power to make us into such .
In that , we have our independence , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberty that matters .
God calls us to choose Him and His light yoke ; will we listen ?
The front-page image is a detail of a mosaic from the Cappella Palatina , Palermo , Sicily ( 12th century ) .
“ Sunday Reflection ” is a regular feature , looking at the specific readings used in today ’ s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world .
The reflection represents only my own point of view , intended to help prepare myself for the Lord ’ s day and perhaps spark a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the main page can be found here .

This morning’s Gospel reading is Matthew 11:25–30:
At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
A belated happy Independence Day to Hot Air readers, especially to those who read the reflections here. Hopefully you spent your Fourth in fun and celebration of freedom, or at least of family and friends. I spent mine liberating my laundry room of the tyranny of junk and bad storage decisions over the last twenty-plus years, and then had a great social-distancing visit from good friends to liberate me from that. Not the greatest of Independence Days, but overall … not too bad.
By the way, my laundry room is only mostly liberated. There are still holdouts against the tyrannical former regime, but I’m planning a Yorktown for later today … assuming my back’s up to it. (It could end up being more of a skirmish, to be honest.)
Jazz wrote our holiday post yesterday, but today’s Gospel readings speak to freedom and liberty in their own way. The entire arc of salvation history through both the Old and New Testaments are really about liberty and individual choice at their cores, with the eternal question that faces each of us singularly, in communities, and as a whole: Do we freely choose to accept the Lord and His Word? Or do we wish to reject Him and make ourselves into gods of our own?
The reading from Zechariah nearly echoes our reading from Matthew today in message and tone. The prophet proclaims the Lord’s message to His people in terms that almost sound like a love letter. When their savior arrives, Zechariah says, he will come in humility and justice, not in oppression and cruelty. “A just savior is he,” Zechariah says, “meek and rising on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass.”
This not just foreshadows Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem that we now celebrate on Palm Sunday, it also communicates the nature of the new “regime.” While this savior will put an end to war, he will not impose himself on people. This new king will be “meek,” a word that has a specific nuanced meaning that sometimes escapes the ear of modern listeners. Meek in this Biblical sense does not mean milquetoast or powerless; in fact, it means almost exactly the opposite. It signifies someone who willingly lays his real power aside for mercy’s sake. “Weak” means powerless; meek means power intentionally set aside for a greater purpose. When Zechariah says that this meek king will “come to you” in humility rather than grandeur, the prophet does not just mean directionally. This king will come to His people to seek them out rather than dominate them, even though He has the power to do the latter.
Jesus uses the same term for the same purpose, only more explicitly, in our reading from Matthew today. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart,” He tells the disciples, “and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Jesus also adds to His prayer of praise to the Father for having “hidden these things from the wise and learned,” a point which we sometimes take for granted in Jesus’ preaching. But why would God “hide” His nature and command in the first place?
Because He loves us, and wishes us to love Him. And that cannot happen on command and through domination, as we know full well from our own political histories of freedom and tyrannies.
To fully reveal Himself would be to dominate mankind through the revelation of His great power. We have glimpses of this throughout the scriptures, even in the theophanies; God comes to Moses as a burning bush, and then only in a glimpse on Mount Sinai. He comes as a massive cloud to John the Baptist and Jesus at the river. God never reveals anything close to His massive splendor, because to do so would enslave humanity. We would obey His word, but not out of choice and love but out of fear and terror.
The Lord loves us too much to force us into slavery. He wants us to come to Him in love, to enter into His family as sons and daughters rather than into slavery. This is the ultimate expression of “meekness,” of deliberately setting aside that power and authority in favor of love. Jesus would later show another expression of meekness on the cross, allowing Himself to suffer the most humiliating and excruciating execution rather than wreak vengeance on those who betrayed and rejected Him.
Jesus freed us from death in that moment, defeating what humankind had long seen as a tyranny of its own — our own mortality. That shows the power of God’s love, but also the lightness of His yoke as well. After all, the commands of the Lord come down to Jesus’ own commandments to His disciples: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbors as yourselves. How hard is that?
Well, pretty hard sometimes, as we all find out. But this is not the yoke of slavery; it is a recipe for liberation. We are not called upon to create the Pyramids of Giza for our salvation, nor to conquer vast lands by the sword. Jesus and the scriptures consistently urge people to love the Lord and put aside the worldly ambitions of those who would make themselves into their own gods. The Lord has no need of conquerors for the sake of conquest; it’s all His world, anyway. He has no need of pyramids either, and truly no “needs” at all. What God longs for is our love, our free-will choice to be His sons and daughters, and those commandments serve to simplify our lives and distill our ambitions to that purpose.
We can choose not to listen and to harden our hearts to Him. We are not slaves, even though the Lord has the power to make us into such. In that, we have our independence, but it’s what we do with that liberty that matters. God calls us to choose Him and His light yoke; will we listen?
The front-page image is a detail of a mosaic from the Cappella Palatina, Palermo, Sicily (12th century).
“Sunday Reflection” is a regular feature, looking at the specific readings used in today’s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world. The reflection represents only my own point of view, intended to help prepare myself for the Lord’s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion. Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here.


hotair--2020-07-05--President Kanye? Mogul and rapper announces he'll run for president against Trump

This year has been so wild that the news of rapper and business mogul Kanye West ’ s announcement that he is running for president is almost just expected , isn ’ t it ?
I mean , the man has said he ’ d do it in the past but hasn ’ t gone through with his boast , so I suppose this is as good of a time as any for him to jump into the mix .
Remember when Kanye West went to the White House and sat in the Oval Office with President Trump ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself ) went nuts , especially after Kanye donned a red MAGA cap .
West has frequently spoken of his friendship with Trump .
He took the usual abuse on social media for being an Uncle Tom for the bad Orange Man yet that kind of criticism usually just rolls off his back – Kanye ’ s accustomed to criticism for posting his opinions and ideas on social media that are viewed by his 29.5M followers .
Let ’ s face it , he ’ s definitely a person who thinks outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again that he ’ ll run for president – this time against his friend , President Trump .
So , Kanye announced on Twitter that he is running for president on July 4th .
Kanye ’ s friend Elon Musk tweeted his support right away , which led to past tweets from Musk in support of West reminding followers that he ’ s a kindred spirit .
Perhaps the two have spoken about this idea .
They were together just a few days ago .
Mrs. West , Kim Kardashian , is endorsing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
Kardashian ’ s 65.5M supporters were not amused .
Some rightly pointed out that if Kanye went through with this idea , he ’ d pull voters from Joe Biden , not Donald Trump .
Trump supporters won ’ t jump ship to vote for Kanye West , but Biden voters might .
Joe Biden has an enthusiasm problem , especially among young black voters , which he needs to win .
The Obama coalition has not come together behind Joe Biden , which is the same problem Hillary Clinton had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Independent candidate might bring them out to vote .
And , he has the turn to religion and gospel music as a draw for African-Americans .
Who knows ?
There is nothing normal in 2020 .
Just gaming out a Kanye West run for the presidency is crazy enough .
It is too late for West to get on the ballot as an Independent in some states .
He ’ s missed the deadline in Indiana , Maine , New Mexico , New York , North Carolina , and Texas , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tweet announcing a presidential run looks like just another whim being voiced .
Those states and their electoral votes would be important to a serious candidate .
West just signed a 10-year deal with Gap for his Yeezy brand .
It is reported that he hasn ’ t filed paperwork in any state yet for a presidential run .
The Democrat voting base , reporters , were also skeptical of the seriousness of the tweet .
Kanye West has expressed political ambitions in the past .
This just may be him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alive and well .
West ’ s declaration suggests the rapper is looking to cement political ambitions he has expressed throughout Trump ’ s presidency .
West previously forged alliances with Trump , and was pictured in the Oval Office in 2018 wearing a signature Trump ‘ Make America Great Again ’ cap .
He once called the president his “ brother ” and previously hit back at criticism towards his support for Trump , likening the backlash to racial discrimination .
Although he says he didn ’ t vote in 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted for Trump ” , and earlier this year doubled down , suggesting he would vote for him in November .
But that could very well change given Saturday ’ s announcement .
West first publicly announced a future run during the 2015 MTV VMAs .
He said he ’ d run in 2020 but then after Trump ’ s election , he changed his mind .
Last fall he said he ’ d run in 2024 .
Back in 2015 at the MTV VMAs , West first announced his plan to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , after his show of support for President Donald Trump stirred controversy , the 21-time Grammy winner said he would no longer pursue a career in politics .
“ My eyes are now wide open and now realize I ’ ve been used to spread messages I don ’ t believe in .
I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !
!
!
” he tweeted at the time .
But by the fall of 2019 , Kanye had changed his mind and said he would launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During an appearance at Fast Company ’ s Innovation Festival , the star shared , “ When I run for president in 2024 , we would ’ ve created so many jobs that I ’ m not going to run , I ’ m going to walk.
” So , here we are .
This is the kind of story that serves as a distraction when many of us are looking for distractions from the daily grind of stories about the coronavirus pandemic and the financial crisis our country is experiencing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pot to keep things interesting .
We are only halfway through 2020 , who knows what else is coming down the pike ?

This year has been so wild that the news of rapper and business mogul Kanye West’s announcement that he is running for president is almost just expected, isn’t it? I mean, the man has said he’d do it in the past but hasn’t gone through with his boast, so I suppose this is as good of a time as any for him to jump into the mix.
Remember when Kanye West went to the White House and sat in the Oval Office with President Trump? The press and Democrats (but I repeat myself) went nuts, especially after Kanye donned a red MAGA cap. West has frequently spoken of his friendship with Trump. He took the usual abuse on social media for being an Uncle Tom for the bad Orange Man yet that kind of criticism usually just rolls off his back – Kanye’s accustomed to criticism for posting his opinions and ideas on social media that are viewed by his 29.5M followers. Let’s face it, he’s definitely a person who thinks outside the box. Now he’s decided again that he’ll run for president – this time against his friend, President Trump.
So, Kanye announced on Twitter that he is running for president on July 4th.
We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States 🇺🇸! #2020VISION — ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020
Kanye’s friend Elon Musk tweeted his support right away, which led to past tweets from Musk in support of West reminding followers that he’s a kindred spirit.
Kanye is truly an inspirational figure, & we all know how much you respect it 😃 This is @elonmusk 's excerpt for TIME in 2015 🥺 pic.twitter.com/AZjp28r14V — Pranay Pathole (@PPathole) July 5, 2020
Perhaps the two have spoken about this idea. They were together just a few days ago.
When you go to your boys house and you’re both wearing orange 🍊 pic.twitter.com/IyPOdEKaVY — ye (@kanyewest) July 1, 2020
Mrs. West, Kim Kardashian, is endorsing (or indulging) her husband, too.
Kardashian’s 65.5M supporters were not amused. Some rightly pointed out that if Kanye went through with this idea, he’d pull voters from Joe Biden, not Donald Trump. Trump supporters won’t jump ship to vote for Kanye West, but Biden voters might. Joe Biden has an enthusiasm problem, especially among young black voters, which he needs to win. The Obama coalition has not come together behind Joe Biden, which is the same problem Hillary Clinton had in 2016. Perhaps a run as an Independent candidate might bring them out to vote. And, he has the turn to religion and gospel music as a draw for African-Americans. Who knows? There is nothing normal in 2020. Just gaming out a Kanye West run for the presidency is crazy enough.
It is too late for West to get on the ballot as an Independent in some states. He’s missed the deadline in Indiana, Maine, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Texas, according to Ballotpedia. This is why West’s tweet announcing a presidential run looks like just another whim being voiced. Those states and their electoral votes would be important to a serious candidate.
West just signed a 10-year deal with Gap for his Yeezy brand. It is reported that he hasn’t filed paperwork in any state yet for a presidential run. The Democrat voting base, reporters, were also skeptical of the seriousness of the tweet.
Kanye West went from endorsing Trump to claiming he’d run against him —an announcement that benefits the president to the degree it spotlights Biden’s need for black voters & his potential weakness with young voters https://t.co/0m4PUO6s6a — Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) July 5, 2020
Kanye West isn’t really gonna run for President, but his next album will be called Presidential Dropout — David Gardner (@byDavidGardner) July 5, 2020
Kanye West has expressed political ambitions in the past. This just may be him reaching out and acknowledging those ambitions are alive and well.
West’s declaration suggests the rapper is looking to cement political ambitions he has expressed throughout Trump’s presidency. West previously forged alliances with Trump, and was pictured in the Oval Office in 2018 wearing a signature Trump ‘Make America Great Again’ cap. He once called the president his “brother” and previously hit back at criticism towards his support for Trump, likening the backlash to racial discrimination. Although he says he didn’t vote in 2016, West later said he “would have voted for Trump”, and earlier this year doubled down, suggesting he would vote for him in November. But that could very well change given Saturday’s announcement.
West first publicly announced a future run during the 2015 MTV VMAs. He said he’d run in 2020 but then after Trump’s election, he changed his mind. Last fall he said he’d run in 2024.
Back in 2015 at the MTV VMAs, West first announced his plan to run for president in 2020. Then in 2018, after his show of support for President Donald Trump stirred controversy, the 21-time Grammy winner said he would no longer pursue a career in politics. “My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!!” he tweeted at the time. But by the fall of 2019, Kanye had changed his mind and said he would launch a presidential campaign in 2024 after all. During an appearance at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival, the star shared, “When I run for president in 2024, we would’ve created so many jobs that I’m not going to run, I’m going to walk.”
So, here we are. This is the kind of story that serves as a distraction when many of us are looking for distractions from the daily grind of stories about the coronavirus pandemic and the financial crisis our country is experiencing. Maybe Kanye West is just stirring the pot to keep things interesting. We are only halfway through 2020, who knows what else is coming down the pike?


hotair--2020-07-05--Does Ghislaine Maxwell have an easy out on all the Epstein charges?

Hopefully , the New York correctional system will take Ed Morrissey ’ s advice and put Ghislaine Maxwell on some sort of 24×7 international monitoring system so she doesn ’ t “ accidentally injure herself.
” But while we wait to see that bit of drama play out , Maxwell ’ s lawyers are hard at work building a case to show why she really can ’ t be prosecuted at all .
Note that they ’ re not even suggesting she didn ’ t do anything wrong ( yet ) , though their client continues to insist she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s anticipated that they will be attempting to claim that a plea deal Jeffrey Epstein cut in Florida a dozen years ago shields her from any prosecution .
Could this even work ?
( Associated Press ) Before Jeffrey Epstein ’ s jailhouse suicide last year , his defense hinged on a 2008 deal with federal prosecutors in Florida over his alleged sexual abuse of multiple teenage girls .
His lawyers said it prevented him from being charged with further crimes .
Could that same deal now help Ghislaine Maxwell , the Epstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped lure at least three girls into sexual liaisons with him ?
Maxwell ’ s lawyers haven ’ t outlined their defense strategy , but her legal team is bound to raise the issue in the months ahead .
Crazier things have happened in courts of law , but this seems to be stretching the limits of legal imagination .
This was the argument that Epstein ’ s own lawyers were preparing to make last year before the notorious pedophile ’ s “ unfortunate suicide.
” He had cut a plea deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By accepting a 13-month sentence on lesser state charges , Epstein was supposedly granted immunity from prosecution for any other related crimes .
Not all federal prosecutors agreed , leading to a Manhattan prosecutor locking him up in preparation to take another run at him .
But there was another , less-discussed codicil in that agreement that allegedly prevented criminal charges from being filed “ against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein.
” The agreement specified the names of four other women who also allegedly procured underage girls for the pervert and his friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protection in question “ was not limited ” to only those four women .
So at least on the surface , it sounds like that provision might cover Maxwell as well .
How Epstein ’ s lawyers managed to land such a sweeping , generous deal for their client in Florida remains a mystery .
We never found out if the courts would be willing to consider the plea deal as an escape hatch last time because the pedophile “ committed suicide ” before the matter could be settled .
But assuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upright and above room temperature from now until her date with a judge , that argument looks like it will be put to the test .
It just seems insane to me that this could actually work .
Maxwell was never even named in the 2008 case , so none of her alleged crimes or conspiratorial participation was examined or taken into account when the deal was struck .
For all we know , there could have been dozens of people out there , chaining young girls to radiators in Epstein ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they would all be free and clear under the terms of that deal ?
It boggles the mind .
Meanwhile , as the New York Post points out this weekend , it ’ s widely expected that Maxwell is going to spill the beans if she can ’ t get the entire case dismissed out of hand .
It ’ s not just a question of testimony , either .
There are allegedly videos , and some of Maxwell ’ s friends are positive she has some of them .
And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential people looking very nervous .
But we ’ re not just talking about Prince Andrew , Bill Clinton and Alan Dershowitz .
There are others .
The report brings up people such as billionaire hedge fund owner Glenn Dubin , Countess Clare Hazell , former Harvard president Larry Summers and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak .
All of their names have appeared in the flight logs of the Lolita Express , and Maxwell could potentially have dirt on some of them .
Particularly if the dirt in question includes videos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shrug off any implications of wrongdoing could be back in the hot seat .
Epstein himself may be long since dead and buried , but his awful legacy lives on .
And now that Ghislaine Maxwell is in a cage and potentially getting ready to sing , this nasty spectacle may take us down any number of dark rabbit holes before we ’ re through .

Hopefully, the New York correctional system will take Ed Morrissey’s advice and put Ghislaine Maxwell on some sort of 24×7 international monitoring system so she doesn’t “accidentally injure herself.” But while we wait to see that bit of drama play out, Maxwell’s lawyers are hard at work building a case to show why she really can’t be prosecuted at all. Note that they’re not even suggesting she didn’t do anything wrong (yet), though their client continues to insist she’s innocent. Instead, it’s anticipated that they will be attempting to claim that a plea deal Jeffrey Epstein cut in Florida a dozen years ago shields her from any prosecution. Could this even work? (Associated Press)
Before Jeffrey Epstein’s jailhouse suicide last year, his defense hinged on a 2008 deal with federal prosecutors in Florida over his alleged sexual abuse of multiple teenage girls. His lawyers said it prevented him from being charged with further crimes. Could that same deal now help Ghislaine Maxwell, the Epstein confidante arrested Thursday, evade charges she helped lure at least three girls into sexual liaisons with him? Maxwell’s lawyers haven’t outlined their defense strategy, but her legal team is bound to raise the issue in the months ahead.
Crazier things have happened in courts of law, but this seems to be stretching the limits of legal imagination. This was the argument that Epstein’s own lawyers were preparing to make last year before the notorious pedophile’s “unfortunate suicide.” He had cut a plea deal with federal prosecutors in Florida in 2008, By accepting a 13-month sentence on lesser state charges, Epstein was supposedly granted immunity from prosecution for any other related crimes. Not all federal prosecutors agreed, leading to a Manhattan prosecutor locking him up in preparation to take another run at him.
But there was another, less-discussed codicil in that agreement that allegedly prevented criminal charges from being filed “against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein.” The agreement specified the names of four other women who also allegedly procured underage girls for the pervert and his friends, but it also specifically said that the protection in question “was not limited” to only those four women. So at least on the surface, it sounds like that provision might cover Maxwell as well.
How Epstein’s lawyers managed to land such a sweeping, generous deal for their client in Florida remains a mystery. We never found out if the courts would be willing to consider the plea deal as an escape hatch last time because the pedophile “committed suicide” before the matter could be settled. But assuming that Ghislaine Maxwell somehow manages to remain upright and above room temperature from now until her date with a judge, that argument looks like it will be put to the test.
It just seems insane to me that this could actually work. Maxwell was never even named in the 2008 case, so none of her alleged crimes or conspiratorial participation was examined or taken into account when the deal was struck. For all we know, there could have been dozens of people out there, chaining young girls to radiators in Epstein’s pleasure palace. Are we to assume that they would all be free and clear under the terms of that deal? It boggles the mind.
Meanwhile, as the New York Post points out this weekend, it’s widely expected that Maxwell is going to spill the beans if she can’t get the entire case dismissed out of hand. It’s not just a question of testimony, either. There are allegedly videos, and some of Maxwell’s friends are positive she has some of them. And that’s leaving a long list of influential people looking very nervous. But we’re not just talking about Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Alan Dershowitz. There are others.
The report brings up people such as billionaire hedge fund owner Glenn Dubin, Countess Clare Hazell, former Harvard president Larry Summers and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. All of their names have appeared in the flight logs of the Lolita Express, and Maxwell could potentially have dirt on some of them. Particularly if the dirt in question includes videos, the ones who have thus far managed to shrug off any implications of wrongdoing could be back in the hot seat.
Epstein himself may be long since dead and buried, but his awful legacy lives on. And now that Ghislaine Maxwell is in a cage and potentially getting ready to sing, this nasty spectacle may take us down any number of dark rabbit holes before we’re through.


hotair--2020-07-06--Chicago Mayor blames yet another bloody weekend on "guns"

The violence in Chicago over Independence Day weekend may not have been quite as bad as the massacre that John wrote about two weeks ago , but it was still pretty awful .
There were crowds of people out and about in the Windy City , but not all of them were looking to celebrate our nation ’ s independence .
By the middle of the day on Sunday , the Associated Press reported that there were “ at least ” 13 people killed and nearly 60 more shot around the city .
And as it turns out , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 13 people , including a 7-year-old girl at a family party and a teenage boy , were killed in Chicago over the Fourth of July weekend , police said .
At least 59 others were shot and wounded .
In one shooting , just before midnight Saturday , four males opened fire on a large gathering in the street in the Englewood neighborhood , police spokesman Tom Ahern said .
Two males died at the scene and two more , including a 14-year-old boy , died at a hospital , Ahern said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in critical condition and the other three were in fair condition , Ahern said .
The four attackers fled the scene .
No one was arrested .
As I mentioned above , those turned out to be preliminary figures .
NBC News puts the total at 16 dead and 69 wounded .
Just to put this in perspective , the number of casualties among American or pro-government forces in Afghanistan over the same period was four dead and twelve wounded .
I ’ ll give you a moment to let that sink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girl on the sidewalk in front of her grandmother ’ s house was apparently what it took for Mayor Lori Lightfoot to put her foot down and speak out .
So what did she blame all of this violence on ?
If you guessed “ guns , ” give yourself a cookie .
While firearms – particularly handguns – are the tool of choice in these attacks , the guns aren ’ t the problem .
What Chicago is currently experiencing isn ’ t an epidemic of legally owned firearms .
They definitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal guns in the hands of felons , but the underlying driver of this is something else .
All of this mayhem has little or nothing to do with George Floyd protests , the pandemic or its resultant economic adversity .
This is the same gang violence that Chicago is all too familiar with .
It ’ s worth pointing out that during a recent “ private ” call between Lightfoot and all of the city ’ s councilmembers , Alderman Raymond Lopez complained that he has “ gang-bangers with AK-47s walking around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The City Council saw this coming and has largely sat on its hands as the death toll increases week after week .
The fact is that the Chicago PD , while taking the blame for much of the city ’ s woes from the Mayor , is so busy trying to keep the rioting and looting under control that there are large portions of the city not seeing enough police coverage .
The gangs are taking advantage of this situation and any progress made in tamping down gang violence in the past couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least effective thing I could imagine for the municipal government of Chicago to be doing right now would be calling for another round of gun control laws to be passed .
The city already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country but , mysteriously enough , the gang members don ’ t appear to be following those laws .
( Go figure . )
If Mayor Lori Lightfoot can ’ t find a way to restore order in the streets and protect the lawful residents of her city , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and find someone else who will .
You are currently less likely to be killed patrolling the streets of Kabul than you are while going out for a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk on Chicago ’ s south side .
That ’ s unacceptable and the residents of the city deserve better .

The violence in Chicago over Independence Day weekend may not have been quite as bad as the massacre that John wrote about two weeks ago, but it was still pretty awful. There were crowds of people out and about in the Windy City, but not all of them were looking to celebrate our nation’s independence. By the middle of the day on Sunday, the Associated Press reported that there were “at least” 13 people killed and nearly 60 more shot around the city. And as it turns out, the AP was lowballing the figures.
At least 13 people, including a 7-year-old girl at a family party and a teenage boy, were killed in Chicago over the Fourth of July weekend, police said. At least 59 others were shot and wounded. In one shooting, just before midnight Saturday, four males opened fire on a large gathering in the street in the Englewood neighborhood, police spokesman Tom Ahern said. Two males died at the scene and two more, including a 14-year-old boy, died at a hospital, Ahern said. Four others were injured; one was in critical condition and the other three were in fair condition, Ahern said. The four attackers fled the scene. No one was arrested.
As I mentioned above, those turned out to be preliminary figures. NBC News puts the total at 16 dead and 69 wounded. Just to put this in perspective, the number of casualties among American or pro-government forces in Afghanistan over the same period was four dead and twelve wounded. I’ll give you a moment to let that sink in.
The death of a seven-year-old girl on the sidewalk in front of her grandmother’s house was apparently what it took for Mayor Lori Lightfoot to put her foot down and speak out. So what did she blame all of this violence on? If you guessed “guns,” give yourself a cookie.
“Tonight, a 7-year-old girl in Austin joined a list of teenagers and children whose hopes and dreams were ended by the barrel of a gun,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Twitter late Saturday. The mayor added: “As a city, we must wrap our arms around our youth so they understand there’s a future for them that isn’t wrapped up in gun violence.”
While firearms – particularly handguns – are the tool of choice in these attacks, the guns aren’t the problem. What Chicago is currently experiencing isn’t an epidemic of legally owned firearms. They definitely do have a problem with too many illegal guns in the hands of felons, but the underlying driver of this is something else. All of this mayhem has little or nothing to do with George Floyd protests, the pandemic or its resultant economic adversity. This is the same gang violence that Chicago is all too familiar with.
It’s worth pointing out that during a recent “private” call between Lightfoot and all of the city’s councilmembers, Alderman Raymond Lopez complained that he has “gang-bangers with AK-47s walking around right now looking for some payback.” The City Council saw this coming and has largely sat on its hands as the death toll increases week after week.
The fact is that the Chicago PD, while taking the blame for much of the city’s woes from the Mayor, is so busy trying to keep the rioting and looting under control that there are large portions of the city not seeing enough police coverage. The gangs are taking advantage of this situation and any progress made in tamping down gang violence in the past couple of years is being lost. The least effective thing I could imagine for the municipal government of Chicago to be doing right now would be calling for another round of gun control laws to be passed. The city already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country but, mysteriously enough, the gang members don’t appear to be following those laws. (Go figure.)
If Mayor Lori Lightfoot can’t find a way to restore order in the streets and protect the lawful residents of her city, the voters there need to replace her and find someone else who will. You are currently less likely to be killed patrolling the streets of Kabul than you are while going out for a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk on Chicago’s south side. That’s unacceptable and the residents of the city deserve better.


hotair--2020-07-06--Is there a "COVID effect" on Trump's polling in hard-hit battleground states?

The question in the headline is interesting , but here ’ s a more interesting one : Assuming there is a “ COVID effect ” on Trump ’ s polling in hard-hit battleground states , will it abate as the the epidemic in those states abates ?
We ’ re bound to see the curves in Arizona and Texas and Florida start to flatten sometime between now and Election Day .
Bars are already closed , a mask mandate is in effect in TX , lockdowns will inevitably follow soon if case counts don ’ t begin to drop .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some as yet unknown cost in lives , the spread will slow down in those states .
If voters there have soured on the president now , with the epidemic raging , will they turn sweeter once it calms down or will they hold a grudge ?
And by “ grudge , ” I mean not so much hard feelings as a durable political conclusion that Trump wasn ’ t up to the task of managing the crisis and should be held accountable for that even if the worst has already passed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The presidency may depend on the answer .
Anyway , this is interesting data from Pew , via Bloomberg : Pew Research Center polls show Trump ’ s approval is slipping fastest in the 500 counties where the number of cases have been more than 28 coronavirus deaths per 100,000 people .
Pew surveyed voters in late March and the same people again in late June , and found 17 % of those who approved of the president in March now disapprove .
The shift came almost equally among Democrats and Republicans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and non-graduates .
But those who live in counties with a high number of virus cases were 50 % more likely to say they no longer approve of Trump .
And older voters , who have typically trended conservative and have backed Trump in the past , are abandoning him at the same time the virus hits those ages 65 and older the hardest .
I don ’ t have the county data in front of me , but eyeballing the state head-to-head polls between Trump and Biden , I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona over the past month .
Texas had been neck-and-neck before its outbreak started and it looks to be neck-and-neck now .
And Arizona has been pretty steadily pro-Biden dating back to March , when he all but locked up the Democratic nomination , months before COVID-19 burned through .
Florida ’ s more interesting .
Biden didn ’ t lead by as much as seven points in any poll there until June 12 , when he suddenly ripped off a series of leads by seven , nine , and 11 points in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , perhaps , that the state and its unusually high percentage of seniors might be blaming Trump for the rises in cases there ?
It ’ s not so clear-cut when you look deeper : The last few polls of Florida have been tighter even though case counts have continued to skyrocket .
And Florida ’ s epidemic didn ’ t really start to explode until the last week of June , after the polling showing Biden ’ s biggest leads .
Even more mysterious : Trump ’ s long decline in national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current wave of COVID-19 got going in the Sun Belt .
I think it ’ s more likely that he started to lose people with how he reacted to the George Floyd protests and then , perhaps , the rising COVID case counts across the south and in California accelerated the trend by deepening the sense that he just has no idea what to do to try to contain the virus .
More to the point , he seems to have no interest : His focus since April has been on reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at whatever cost .
According to NBC and WaPo , the White House is preparing to go all-in on that perception .
Their new message to a frightened country is , apparently , to get used to a raging epidemic of a virus that ’ s already killed 120,000 people .
After several months of mixed messages on the coronavirus pandemic , the White House is settling on a new one : Learn to live with it… At the crux of the message , officials said , is a recognition by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going away any time soon — and will be around through the November election .
As a result , President Donald Trump ’ s top advisers plan to argue , the country must figure out how to press forward despite it .
Therapeutic drugs will be showcased as a key component for doing that and the White House will increasingly emphasize the relatively low risk most Americans have of dying from the virus , officials said .
The Post puts it memorably : “ White House officials also hope Americans will grow numb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept tens of thousands of new cases a day , ” believing that if the feds just stop talking about it , “ the base will move on and the public will learn to accept 50,000 to 100,000 new cases a day.
” That reads like a parody of Trump ’ s belief that all political problems are messaging problems and that he can control everything that threatens him simply by the way he talks about it .
Team Biden reportedly intends to use “ the stumbling response and renewed surge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uninformed , incapable of empathy and concerned only about his own political standing.
” No joke : If Trump gets reelected running on a “ learn to live with it ” message about a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic , at a moment when our European allies have hammered down their case counts to practically nothing , it ’ ll be the political feat of the century .
Not even his first election will rival it .
To surrender on the health-care challenge of the age when Americans know full well from foreign experience that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second term anyway — it ’ d be one of the most amazing electoral achievements the country has ever seen .
Imagine running on a campaign slogan of “ Try to grow numb to it ” and winning .
They are going to do one thing beyond encouraging people to get used to COVID misery .
That ’ s to encourage more mask-wearing .
White House officials are discussing taking a more active role in encouraging masks as they shift to a strategy of preparing Americans to live long-term with the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ without social distancing and where masks were scarce , Trump ’ s campaign said Sunday it would host a New Hampshire campaign rally where attendees will be “ provided a face mask that they are strongly encouraged to wear.
” … Many of Trump ’ s closest allies now say in private that wearing a mask in public could help him appear more attuned to the crisis .
They fear his failure to do so — and to encourage his supporters to follow suit — could threaten the economic recovery Trump is counting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further outbreaks could roll back the reopenings he desperately needs to have a chance in November .
That same point was made by critics of early reopening since the moment Trump first started pushing the idea in April .
If you reopen without measures in place to help keep the virus in check , you risk a second wave that ’ ll trigger new lockdowns and potentially erase all the economic gains you ’ ve made .
It ’ s nice that they ’ ve come around in July to the reality that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t an either/or choice but rather a sequential process , but it would have been nicer in April .
As I say , the truly interesting question in battleground states is whether Trump will be forgiven for mistakes like that or whether the cake is baked at this point and even a comparatively good outcome over the next four months won ’ t save him in November .
Here ’ s the mayor of Miami-Dade laying some blame for Florida ’ s outbreak at the feet of anti-racist protesters .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News that the protests were likely responsible for some transmissions , although NYC ’ s extremely woke government continues to deny any role played by the demonstrators there .
In lieu of an exit question , go read this thread by former Trump advisor Tom Bossert , who guesstimates that infections in hot-spot states right now are far more prevalent than our testing shows — and beyond a certain threshold of prevalence , it becomes very difficult to put those fires out .
“ We are in trouble , ” Bossert says ominously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surely be under control in Arizona et al .
by November is misplaced .

The question in the headline is interesting, but here’s a more interesting one: Assuming there is a “COVID effect” on Trump’s polling in hard-hit battleground states, will it abate as the the epidemic in those states abates? We’re bound to see the curves in Arizona and Texas and Florida start to flatten sometime between now and Election Day. Bars are already closed, a mask mandate is in effect in TX, lockdowns will inevitably follow soon if case counts don’t begin to drop. By hook or by crook, at some as yet unknown cost in lives, the spread will slow down in those states.
If voters there have soured on the president now, with the epidemic raging, will they turn sweeter once it calms down or will they hold a grudge? And by “grudge,” I mean not so much hard feelings as a durable political conclusion that Trump wasn’t up to the task of managing the crisis and should be held accountable for that even if the worst has already passed by the time polls open in November.
The presidency may depend on the answer.
Anyway, this is interesting data from Pew, via Bloomberg:
Pew Research Center polls show Trump’s approval is slipping fastest in the 500 counties where the number of cases have been more than 28 coronavirus deaths per 100,000 people. Pew surveyed voters in late March and the same people again in late June, and found 17% of those who approved of the president in March now disapprove. The shift came almost equally among Democrats and Republicans, men and women, and college graduates and non-graduates. But those who live in counties with a high number of virus cases were 50% more likely to say they no longer approve of Trump. And older voters, who have typically trended conservative and have backed Trump in the past, are abandoning him at the same time the virus hits those ages 65 and older the hardest.
I don’t have the county data in front of me, but eyeballing the state head-to-head polls between Trump and Biden, I don’t see any noticeable decline in Texas and Arizona over the past month. Texas had been neck-and-neck before its outbreak started and it looks to be neck-and-neck now. And Arizona has been pretty steadily pro-Biden dating back to March, when he all but locked up the Democratic nomination, months before COVID-19 burned through.
Florida’s more interesting. Biden didn’t lead by as much as seven points in any poll there until June 12, when he suddenly ripped off a series of leads by seven, nine, and 11 points in three different surveys. Hmmmm. Evidence, perhaps, that the state and its unusually high percentage of seniors might be blaming Trump for the rises in cases there? It’s not so clear-cut when you look deeper: The last few polls of Florida have been tighter even though case counts have continued to skyrocket. And Florida’s epidemic didn’t really start to explode until the last week of June, after the polling showing Biden’s biggest leads.
Even more mysterious: Trump’s long decline in national polling began in mid-May, long before the current wave of COVID-19 got going in the Sun Belt. I think it’s more likely that he started to lose people with how he reacted to the George Floyd protests and then, perhaps, the rising COVID case counts across the south and in California accelerated the trend by deepening the sense that he just has no idea what to do to try to contain the virus. More to the point, he seems to have no interest: His focus since April has been on reopening the economy come hell or high water, at whatever cost.
According to NBC and WaPo, the White House is preparing to go all-in on that perception. Their new message to a frightened country is, apparently, to get used to a raging epidemic of a virus that’s already killed 120,000 people.
After several months of mixed messages on the coronavirus pandemic, the White House is settling on a new one: Learn to live with it… At the crux of the message, officials said, is a recognition by the White House that the virus is not going away any time soon — and will be around through the November election. As a result, President Donald Trump’s top advisers plan to argue, the country must figure out how to press forward despite it. Therapeutic drugs will be showcased as a key component for doing that and the White House will increasingly emphasize the relatively low risk most Americans have of dying from the virus, officials said.
The Post puts it memorably: “White House officials also hope Americans will grow numb to the escalating death toll and learn to accept tens of thousands of new cases a day,” believing that if the feds just stop talking about it, “the base will move on and the public will learn to accept 50,000 to 100,000 new cases a day.” That reads like a parody of Trump’s belief that all political problems are messaging problems and that he can control everything that threatens him simply by the way he talks about it.
Team Biden reportedly intends to use “the stumbling response and renewed surge in cases as ways to paint Trump as uninformed, incapable of empathy and concerned only about his own political standing.” No joke: If Trump gets reelected running on a “learn to live with it” message about a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, at a moment when our European allies have hammered down their case counts to practically nothing, it’ll be the political feat of the century. Not even his first election will rival it. To surrender on the health-care challenge of the age when Americans know full well from foreign experience that it can be managed effectively and win a second term anyway — it’d be one of the most amazing electoral achievements the country has ever seen. Imagine running on a campaign slogan of “Try to grow numb to it” and winning.
They are going to do one thing beyond encouraging people to get used to COVID misery. That’s to encourage more mask-wearing.
White House officials are discussing taking a more active role in encouraging masks as they shift to a strategy of preparing Americans to live long-term with the virus. After appearing at a string of events without social distancing and where masks were scarce, Trump’s campaign said Sunday it would host a New Hampshire campaign rally where attendees will be “provided a face mask that they are strongly encouraged to wear.”… Many of Trump’s closest allies now say in private that wearing a mask in public could help him appear more attuned to the crisis. They fear his failure to do so — and to encourage his supporters to follow suit — could threaten the economic recovery Trump is counting on to fuel his reelection, because further outbreaks could roll back the reopenings he desperately needs to have a chance in November.
That same point was made by critics of early reopening since the moment Trump first started pushing the idea in April. If you reopen without measures in place to help keep the virus in check, you risk a second wave that’ll trigger new lockdowns and potentially erase all the economic gains you’ve made. It’s nice that they’ve come around in July to the reality that containing the virus and rebuilding the economy isn’t an either/or choice but rather a sequential process, but it would have been nicer in April. As I say, the truly interesting question in battleground states is whether Trump will be forgiven for mistakes like that or whether the cake is baked at this point and even a comparatively good outcome over the next four months won’t save him in November.
Here’s the mayor of Miami-Dade laying some blame for Florida’s outbreak at the feet of anti-racist protesters. Officials in Seattle and L.A. also told Fox News that the protests were likely responsible for some transmissions, although NYC’s extremely woke government continues to deny any role played by the demonstrators there. In lieu of an exit question, go read this thread by former Trump advisor Tom Bossert, who guesstimates that infections in hot-spot states right now are far more prevalent than our testing shows — and beyond a certain threshold of prevalence, it becomes very difficult to put those fires out. “We are in trouble,” Bossert says ominously. Maybe my assurance that things will surely be under control in Arizona et al. by November is misplaced.